Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Great Falls Line

By Craig Swain, July 14, 2007

1. The Great Falls Line Marker

Inscription. The Bluemont Branch of the Washington & Old Dominion was not the railroad’s only line. The Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad arose in 1906 from the vision of two prominent men. Sen. Stephen B. Elkins of West Virginia had prospered through coal, lumber, and railroads in his home state. John R. McLean was involved in several businesses and owned The Washington Post. Elkins and McLean bought land on the Virginia side of the Potomac River at Great Falls. They turned it into a resort, complete with a carousel, dance pavilion, and an electrified trolley line to bring the crowds from Washington. The largely undeveloped land along the line was idea for residential communities, including one named after McLean.

Location. 39° 6.727′ N, 77° 34.795′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. Marker can be reached from Catoctin Circle Northwest, on the right when traveling north. Click for map. Located about 100 yards west of Catoctin Circle along the Washington & Old Dominion

By Craig Swain, July 14, 2007

2. The Great Falls Line Marker Next to the Trail Juncture

Railroad Trail, at the juncture of the Foxridge Community Park walking trail. Marker is in this post office area: Leesburg VA 20175, United States of America.

More about this marker. The background of the marker is a picture of a train on the Great Falls Line captioned, “A small steam locomotive stops at Cherrydale in Arlington, along GF&OD around 1908.” The marker also has portraits of John R. McLean and Sen. Stephen Elkins. A small inset reproduces an advertisement used for the W&OD describing services to Great Falls.

This marker is one of a standard set used along the trail, and is duplicated elsewhere.

Also see . . . 1. The Great Falls and Old Dominion Line. Wikipedia entry, with a rather detailed listing of stops along the line. The railroad seems to have been converted to the present day Old Dominion Drive. (Submitted on August 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,431 times since then and 117 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on , by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016.